8 Interesting Valentine’s Day Traditions Around the World

February 14 or Valentine’s Day is the day that couples in love enthusiastically look forward to. When this day is around the corner, they start searching for the best gifting options and the best places to travel. Do you know that this day is celebrated to honor St. Valentine who was a priest who understood the value of love? There are certain interesting traditions followed around the world in connection with Valentine’s Day.

 

France is known all over the world for its inclination towards romance. It is said the custom of celebrating Valentine’s Day started in France, when Duke Charles sent love letters to his wife while he was imprisoned. French people have their unique way of celebrating the day of love. 

On Valentine’s Day, all single men and women gather in houses opposite to each other. They call out for their potential partners. If men find the new suitor unattractive, they are free to leave the lady and look for another one. In the end, all ladies who do not find a match would proceed to make a fire. Therethey burn the images of the men who abandoned them and hurl abuses at them.  When this custom turned too ugly, the French government decided to put a ban on it.

 

Denmark is a country which has a holiday on Valentine’s Day. People of Denmark celebrate the day by exchanging flowers. These pressed white flowers are called snowdrops. They are given to friends and lovers alike. They also have a tradition of exchanging lover’s cards on this special day. In the olden times, these cards used to have a photograph of the person giving the gift to his sweetheart. 

On this day, men send a ‘gaekkebrev’ or a joke letter to the woman they love. It will have a funny poem written on it. The name of the sender will not be mentioned in the letter. If the women are able to guess the name of the sender, they earn an Easter egg later in the year.

 

South Korea has a different version of Valentine’s Day that spreads over several months. Here, only women give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day. A month later, on March 14, men will get their turn to return the gifts. This day is called the White Day. It is marked by the Rule of Three, where the men are expected to return a gift whose value is three times the value of what they received in February.

The story does not end here. A month later, on April 14, A Black Day is celebrated. On this day, all singles gather to share their sorrows and eat back noodles.

 

The people of Wales have different customs and even a different day for celebrating love. Instead of February 14, they have dedicated January 25 as the day for lovers. This day is called St. Dwynwen’s Day. It is celebrated in the honor of St. Dwynwen, who is the patron saint of lovers for the Welsh. On this day, Welsh men gift an intricately carved wooden spoon to the woman they love. These spoons have different designs that convey different messages to the receiver. These days, love spoons are exchanged for other occasions such as marriages too.

English people celebrate Valentine’s Day with fervor. They do not spend on expensive gifts. They believe in gifting handmade sweets and pastries. Baking a heart-shaped cake for your lover is a common tradition. Flowers are also exchanged. 

England has a custom of sending anonymous Valentine’s gifts too. Women sleep with five bay leaves on their pillow on the eve of Valentine’s Day. This is supposed to give them dreams of their future husband.

 

According to Italian tradition, unmarried women wake up before dawn on Valentine’s Day to spot the man they are likely to marry. It is believed that they will marry the first man they spot on the day. Oranges are a part of the celebrations in many places in Italy.

Romantic partners in Italy have a unique tradition. They lock padlocks to bridges or railings and throw the key into water. This is believed to seal their bond for lifetime. In romantic cities such as Florence and Italy, celebrations are conducted with pomp and splendor.

 

Slovenians have a different day for celebrating love. They celebrate March 12 as St. Gregory’s Day or the day of love. It is believed to be the day on which birds join in wedlock. Unmarried women look up to the sky on the morning of this day. The first bird they see will indicate the type of husband they get. 

In Slovenia, February 14 is the day when work in the field begins. It is observed as a spring festival. St. Valentine is the patron saint of spring in this country.

 

Bulgaria has dedicated the lover’s day to wines. They make the perfect combination of wine and love. Traditionally, this day was celebrated by the wine makers and tavern keepers. There is lots of wine, Bulgarian music and good food. The custom of Valentine’s Day was later added to the festivities. Today, couples in love celebrate the day with gifts and wine.

These were some of the interesting Valentine’s Day celebrations around the world. Many more fascinating stories exist in many other corners of the world.